While spreader feeders like those shown and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,031,639 and 3,484,131 have been in common use for laundered articles such as sheets, table linens, and like materials, they are not practical for removing wrinkles from shop towels or other heavy materials after washing and drying of the materials and not only cannot be used to remove wrinkles from the shop towels, but cannot fold, count and stack the towels for use as the wrinkles are removed therefrom.
The spreader feeder of the present invention is especially designed to take towels made from relatively rough heavy material and of a relatively small size, which cannot be spread by spreader feeders of the type disclosed in the aforementioned patents and spread the laundered shop towels or other relatively small cloth articles and remove wrinkles from the towels and then fold and stack the towels to be bundled in bundles of uniform size and of a uniform count. Such an apparatus particularly adapted for shop towels or other rough relatively small cloth materials has never before been successfully attained, making it necessary to use manual labor to spread, fold, count and stack the towels and deliver the towels for use in uniform bundles or stacks.